Q: What options would I have if a defective TV stand broke my TV and other expensive electronics?

A: To be honest, it seems pretty unlikely that every single piece of electronics was damaged so severely that they are all inoperable. Moreover, your stated value of the router is about $40 too high. Similar exaggerations for the value of the other equipment will be devastating to your credibility.

However, to pursue a claim, you would first make a written demand upon the manufacturer and retailer of the stand for compensation for your damages setting forth each damaged component by model number and serial number, together with evidence of the purchase cost and replacement cost for each item. If you fail to agree upon adequate compensation, you can file a lawsuit in Small Claims for product liability, breach of contract, breach of warranty of merchantability and breach of warranty of fitness for particular purpose. An attorney can prepare the paperwork for you, and get it filed and served. Attorneys are not allowed at the actual hearing.

If you sue, bring all evidence of the purchase of the stand and of the electronic equipment (receipts), the manual and warranty for the stand, along with some kind of proof of value of the equipment (receipts, offers for sale of replacement equipment, etc.). You may also need to prove that each item is inoperable as a consequence of the collapse of the TV stand and nor for some other reason. Photographs might suffice, but a written statement from an electronics technician would be better.

Plaintiff’s Claim and ORDER to Go to Small Claims Court; Form SC-100 (Lawsuit for monetary damages)

Other Defendants; Form SC-100A;

Proof of Service; Form SC-104

courts.ca.gov/forms.htm?filter=SC

No guaranties that these are the appropriate forms or that a Small Claims Judge will rule in your favor.

A: I am going to have to agree with Mr. Light: Unless the TV and each of the electronic components you claim to have lost to damages was a top of the line first class brand, and also brand spanking new, right out of each box they came in, your estimation of their replacement costs are way out of line. And even if all were brand new, as Mr. Light noticed, it is not possible that all of you equipment was "broken" beyond repair. Finally, even if all the stuff was brand new right out of the box, it appears that the price you paid for most of them was way too high.

I am NOT advising you to forget about suing the manufacturer and the store where you bought the wooden TV stand; all I want you to understand is that--at least in civil litigation--asking and getting are not the same.

A: It might be worthwhile to double-check the accompanying paperwork to determine if the manufacturer included any type of provision where they limit their damages to only the stand they sold.

Tim Akpinar